When the horse owner suspects the navicular syndrome as the cause of lameness in their horse, they often go into the mode of fear. In fact, some people even shy away from the horse, making it look like it is suffering from some contagious diseases. It is important to understand that the navicular disease in horses is not terminal and most horses that are diagnosed with this condition are able to be brought back to their previous performance with proper management of the condition.
Unknown to many horse owners, a horse with the said condition can easily be brought back its former perforce level, all that is needed is proper management by someone who fully understand what it take to manage the condition. In order to understand the situation better, compare the horse with an athlete that has been diagnosed with bad feet, the athlete can go back to its former level of performance as long as it is well managed; the same goes for the horse.
The most common sign the vet will normally notice is a history of the front leg lameness which can be gradual. At times, the lameness can be observed on both front feet. The other sign is a history stumbling and developing a choppy gait that appears to be uncomfortable. The condition is also more common with the thoroghbreds and the quarterhorses than other breeds as they are larger in size and rests on small feet. The onset of signs is also common at the age of 7 to 14 although it can occur at any age.
Generally though, pinpointing the exact cause of the problem is not easy. This is due to the fact that there are numerous possible causes, and as such, a single treatment may not be possible. The navicular bone is actually a small bone found at the horse foot. To date, there is no concurrence when it comes to the cause of this condition. There are several theories suggesting the possible causes, one of the oldest suggesting that the navicular bone normally undergoes the charges that brings about pathology and pain in the area.
Other risk factors include the horse breed. The quarterhorse breed and the thoroghbreds are at higher risk than other horses as their legs are smaller as compared to their big bodies. The signs are more likely to be noticed from the age of 7 to 14.
In order to reduce symptoms, vets usually resort to techniques that target to increase circulation to the navicular area. This includes the administration of isoxsuprine hydrochloride as it helps in dilating the small blood vessels. The magnetic hoof and the anticoagulant warfarin are both used to increase local circulation, which in turn reduces pain.
The other common alternative is the use of corrective shoeing particularly when the condition is chronic. This involves trimming each of the affected shoes to conform to particular needs. The shoe types used include the rolled toe shoe, the wide web shoe, the Tennessee navicular shoe, the slippered hell shoe, and the egg bar shoe among others.
There are a number of techniques that increases blood circulation to the affected area and thus reduce symptoms. The administration of isoxsuprine, for instance, helps dilate the blood vessels. The other methods include the use of the magnetic hoof and the use of anticoagulant both which target to boost the blood circulation.
Unknown to many horse owners, a horse with the said condition can easily be brought back its former perforce level, all that is needed is proper management by someone who fully understand what it take to manage the condition. In order to understand the situation better, compare the horse with an athlete that has been diagnosed with bad feet, the athlete can go back to its former level of performance as long as it is well managed; the same goes for the horse.
The most common sign the vet will normally notice is a history of the front leg lameness which can be gradual. At times, the lameness can be observed on both front feet. The other sign is a history stumbling and developing a choppy gait that appears to be uncomfortable. The condition is also more common with the thoroghbreds and the quarterhorses than other breeds as they are larger in size and rests on small feet. The onset of signs is also common at the age of 7 to 14 although it can occur at any age.
Generally though, pinpointing the exact cause of the problem is not easy. This is due to the fact that there are numerous possible causes, and as such, a single treatment may not be possible. The navicular bone is actually a small bone found at the horse foot. To date, there is no concurrence when it comes to the cause of this condition. There are several theories suggesting the possible causes, one of the oldest suggesting that the navicular bone normally undergoes the charges that brings about pathology and pain in the area.
Other risk factors include the horse breed. The quarterhorse breed and the thoroghbreds are at higher risk than other horses as their legs are smaller as compared to their big bodies. The signs are more likely to be noticed from the age of 7 to 14.
In order to reduce symptoms, vets usually resort to techniques that target to increase circulation to the navicular area. This includes the administration of isoxsuprine hydrochloride as it helps in dilating the small blood vessels. The magnetic hoof and the anticoagulant warfarin are both used to increase local circulation, which in turn reduces pain.
The other common alternative is the use of corrective shoeing particularly when the condition is chronic. This involves trimming each of the affected shoes to conform to particular needs. The shoe types used include the rolled toe shoe, the wide web shoe, the Tennessee navicular shoe, the slippered hell shoe, and the egg bar shoe among others.
There are a number of techniques that increases blood circulation to the affected area and thus reduce symptoms. The administration of isoxsuprine, for instance, helps dilate the blood vessels. The other methods include the use of the magnetic hoof and the use of anticoagulant both which target to boost the blood circulation.
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